A court in central Vietnam has sentenced a well-known blogger to two years in prison for posting criticism of the communist government in the latest case in an intensified crackdown against dissent.

Lawyer Tran Vu Hai said Truong Duy Nhat was convicted of posting material which distorted the government's policies and put the country's leadership in a bad light. The half-day trial took place in Danang City.

The lawyer said Nhat told the court that he did post the 12 articles on his blog, but maintained that his acts did not constitute a crime, and that he merely exercised his rights to freedom of expression.

The 50-year-old was arrested at his home in central Danang City in May last year.